however, saverin bornstein with the university of california energy center says it's unlikely there's a conspiracy going on by the oil companies. >> what might be going on and would be very difficult to detect is individual companies figuring out if they put less gas on the market, the prices will be a bit higher. and if that's the case, it's going to be very difficult to detect and it's not illegal. >> reporter: so there's nothing against the law about gaming the system but what is there about the system that allows it to be gamed here. >> we use a blend of gas not used anywhere else in the country. as a result, when we get know a supply problem, we can't import gasoline that's used in other parts of the country to smooth out that shortage. >> reporter: while the governor's order to allow the winter blend gas to come in is not a long-term answer, at this point the public will take any relief they can get. >> it all counts. 4 gallons for 22 bucks. not cool. >> reporter: it's not cool for any of the drivers here having to pay this much especially when the rest of the nation's gas is ev